Nickel Creek: Sean Watkins (guitar); Chris Thile (banjo, bouzouki, mandolin); Sara Watkins (fiddle).
Liner Note Author: Terry Teachout.
Recording information: The Freight And Salvage, Berkeley, CA (11/16/2000).
Photographer: Arthur Gorson.
Second only to Alison Krauss and Union Station in the contemporary bluegrass revival, Nickel Creek have never been strict genre purists. Adding pop, rock, and more mainstream country aspects to their bluegrass-based sound only showcases the tradition at the heart of their music, and shows how intimately connected bluegrass is to other forms of pop. Focusing on the band's original material instead of their entertainingly eclectic covers, REASONS WHY (THE VERY BEST OF NICKEL CREEK) makes a strong case for the young group as some of the finest songwriters in Nashville, featuring gems like "When In Rome" and "Somebody More Like You."
Note: Some versions of REASONS WHY (THE VERY BEST OF NICKEL CREEK) come with a bonus DVD of music videos and live performances.
Professional Reviews
Uncut (p.88) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[A]t their best, the polyrhythmic three fuse the classical and the Celtic to delirious effect."
